Thinking outside the box on Lost

Oh, the tease, the TEASE! After two and a half seasons worth of teasing the audience with the mystery of how Locke lost his ability to walk, we finally learn the answer in this episode. FINALLY. Finally, finally, finally …

FINALLY.

You know what? I almost don’t want to know. You know?

Mario Perez : ABC

“Let’s drink to a nice flight!”

The heck with it, let’s find out, shall we? We first encounter Locke in a government office meeting with an African-American woman about his disability benefits (and is it just me, or have African-American women of a certain size become shorthand for officious bureaucracy? See also: Ugly Betty. I’m shocked that 24 has yet to utilize this stereotype. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bauer, but you can’t raid that building, or torture Mr. Fayed without first filling out forms D-6 and 92-H in duplicate, and I’m gonna need you to get these notarized. And I would appreciate it, Mr. Bauer, if you would not threaten me with those lamp wires. Mmm-kay?”)

Anywho, Mrs. Bureaucrat asks Locke some pointed questions regarding his personal life: is he married? No. Are his parents living? Well, he was raised in foster homes, and doesn’t really know them. Mrs. Bureaucrat notes that Locke stopped submitting his therapy bills to their agency–well, he stopped going, it was a waste of time, explains Locke. And then here comes the Benefits Denied stamp. Don’t worry, offers Mrs. Bureaucrat. It’s a temporary suspension. As soon as you get your grouchy self back into therapy, we can resume benefits. You think I’m “temporarily” disabled? snaps Locke. Depression can be temporary, Mrs. Bureaucrat snaps right back. Since you stopped going to therapy, I guess you’re all better. And Locke stands up and agrees. I guess I am, he says as he walks away.

See what they did there? You thought that he was going to wheel himself away, didn’t you? Oh, I know you won’t admit it, and that’s fine, you don’t have to. But they got you just like they did in “Walkabout” when they make the big wheelchair reveal in the travel agent’s office … Again, they made a nice unexpected reversal: manipulated your expectations. You think you know what’s going on, and all the clues are there to fulfill your expectations: Locke’s sitting down, he’s bald, he’s receiving disability benefits, he bristles at the idea that his disability is temporary…But the truth is, they pulled that con right in front of you and told you they were doing it. After all, Mrs. Bureaucrat tells you that his disability is depression. It’s O.K., I won’t tell anyone that they fooled you, too.

John Locke is wallowing in his sad little life, eating a sad little TV dinner in front of his sad little TV. (Something about Bolivian gold deposits being stolen is mentioned on the broadcast before Locke changes the station: keep that in mind for later.) There’s a knock on the door interrupting Locke’s chicken dinner, and he opens the door to a handsome young man named Peter Talbot who is looking for one John Locke. No solicitors, growls John. No, Peter explains, my mother is in trouble. How many kidneys do you have, Mr. Locke? And this stops Locke. Turns out Peter’s momma is in loooove with a man named Adam Seward. Adam had something “special,” Peter’s mom just went ga-ga over him, and she agreed to marry him after only knowing him for two months.

Something in Peter’s gut, however, warned him that something was wrong, so he checked out Adam’s story. What this has to do with Locke, is that he donated one of his kidneys to Adam Seward. Peter shows Locke a picture of “Adam” with an attractive older woman, and sure enough, it’s Locke’s dear old dad. When Peter investigated this man, all he could find were his medical records. That’s when he learned that Locke had given Adam/Anthony his kidney. How bad could the guy be, if Locke was willing to give him his kidney? Right? Sorry, says Locke, it was an anonymous donation. I can’t help you.

Oh, Locke.

Lost note: the photograph. It may just be a device used by the writers to move the story along…but very often in flashbacks survivors are shown photographs of other people as a means of manipulating them. Many many examples: Nadia, Cassidy, Jae Lee, “Dave,” the list is extensive. Keep an eye out for photographs and their effect on the survivors.

A second Lost note: The Special Ops badges Locke has hanging in his living room. This is not the first time that we’ve seen military memorabilia in Locke’s home. In “Walkabout,” there are a number of military items in Locke’s bedroom. So the question is, did Locke actually ever spend any time in the military, or is he just a collector?

And a third Lost note for good measure: Locke’s TV tray is cowboy themed. Note the brand markings framing it. We should ask Juliet if she has a favorite.

Locke tracks his father down in a florist’s shop, where Cooper and his unwitting fiancé are choosing flowers for their upcoming nuptials. This is a little awkward, suggests Cooper. You wanna hear awkward? Locke offers. I’ll tell you awkward. Your fiancé’s son showed up on my doorstep wondering why I gave you my kidney. I covered for you, but here’s the dealy. You’re going to call off the wedding, or I’m going to tell her that you’re conning her. You make people believe that you are their family, and then you leave them in ruins. And it’s going to stop. Fine, Cooper agrees, I’ll tell her. Locke should really insist to watch.

Leaving his cute red Volkswagen Bug with groceries, Locke is approached by two detectives wondering what Locke knows about Peter Talbot. Never heard of him, lies Locke. Alright, how about the Peter Talbot that visited your home two days ago? OH! THAT Peter Talbot. Sure! Says Locke, I know him. He was a door-to-door salesman. Uh-huh. He was also worth $200 million, so that’s not really going to fly with the officers here, Locke. Yeah, and? They found your name and number in his pockets, because he’s dead. So, you know, it may be time to stop covering for Cooper. Already.

But, as we all know, Locke is a sucker. And so instead of offering the detectives what he knows, he chooses to confront his father instead. Locke shows up at Cooper’s fabulously appointed apartment. He accuses Cooper of killing Peter, which Cooper denies, after all he’s been conning folks for a long time, why would he sweat one kid? So why are you still in town? demands Locke. Cooper confesses that he didn’t end the relationship, as Locke had asked. He still wanted to make some money off the deal. Cooper then pours two glasses of McCutcheon whisky for himself and Locke as he goes on to explain that his fiancé called off the wedding after Peter died, because she was so distraught. John’s incredulous at the idea that the woman called off the wedding. Locke asks if he were to call her right now, would she say the same thing? Sure! says Cooper. The phone’s right over there. And Locke, bless his heart, turns to take the phone. But before he can ask what her number is, Cooper tackles him and knocks him right out the window. On the 8th floor. And now we know how Locke lost the use of his legs.

Lost note: Jae Lee, and a random man in Hurley’s “Numbers” flashback also fall out of windows. It was assumed that Jae Lee killed himself, but perhaps he was pushed?

In the hospital, the detectives report to Locke that his father is gone. Long gone. Went to Mexico, and after that, who knows. He could be anywhere in the world. The physical therapist arrives, shoos the detectives out of John’s room, and introduces Locke to his wheelchair. Locke says that he can’t do it, and the therapist responds, you fell 8 stories and survived. Don’t tell me what you can’t do,” And as Locke is placed in the wheelchair, he weeps at the recognition that this is his new life.

Shall we head to the Island?

Kate, Sayid, Locke and Danielle are where we left them last time: hiding in the bushes watching Jack and Tom play a game of catch. Juliet comes out and joins the two of them, and it’s just all smiles and happy happy to Kate’s shock and dismay. When Benry is wheeled out, and shakes hands with Jack, Locke notes that the situation may be more complicated than they originally thought. True that. And while they aren’t looking, Danielle sneaks away. Again.

Locke does a little projecting, and suggests that Jack may not want to be rescued. Kate’s not hearing that, and insists that this isn’t the Jack that she knows. Ah, but it is, says Locke. The Jack he knows is first and foremost a doctor, and he wouldn’t be able to deny someone help. If he’s chilling with the Others, he has a good reason. If Jack wants out, they’ll get him out.

And now it’s dark. Locke sends Kate in first, while he and Sayid cover the front and back. Kate enters, and hears someone noodling on a piano. As she carefully makes her way down the hall, we hear that the song being played appears to be a variation on Lost‘s “sad” music. Jack is our musician, and it takes him a moment or two before he notices Kate standing behind him. But instead of the warm reunion that Kate obviously expects, Jack snaps at her: what are you doing here? Get out! There’s watching me! And sure enough, it seems his little house is rigged with camera. Because, duh.

And in no time flat, dudes with guns storm the place, take down Kate and then drag Sayid in. The dudes ask if there is anyone else. Nope, says Kate. Big mistake, counters Therese.

The thing is, Locke didn’t cover the back at all, as he had promised. Locke’s got bigger fish to fry: specifically a fish named Benry Linus. Locke sneaks into Benry’s room, waking him. Benry assures Locke that there’s no need for gunplay, he’s happy to tell him where Jack is. See, that’s not what Locke’s here for, though. He wants to know where the submarine is.

So Benry plays dumb: whaaa? Submarine? Whatever could you be talking about? And Locke plays right into Benry’s little trap: you know, the submarine your friend Mikhail told me about, RIGHT BEFORE I KILLED HIM. So there!

Alex comes banging on the door right about now, wondering to whom her father is talking. And before Benry can warn her, Locke grabs her and drags her into the closet, because Benry has yet ANOTHER visitor: Tom, here to tell Benry that they’ve captured Kate and Sayid on the premises. Benry orders them separated, and Tom asks leadingly, What about tomorrow with Jack and Juliet? Let me worry about that, assures Benry, and he sends Tom away.

Richard, you stay, Benry orders. And all we have is the back of Richard’s head. Bring me “The Man from Tallahassee,” Benry mysteriously orders. Why? asks Richard. Don’t be uppity, Minon. Just do it. Off Richard goes, and out comes Locke. Locke wants to know if “The Man from Tallahassee” is some kind of? No, John. We don’t have a code for there’s a man in my closet holding a gun to my daughter’s head, but we obviously should. Ba-dum-dum! Thank you ladies and gentlemen! Benry will be here all week!

Lost note: Tallahassee: Kate was buying a bus ticket to Tallahassee when the Marshal caught up with her for the first time. And Sawyer tells Jack that he caught a little something undesirable during his time in Tallahassee. A-hem.

Right, so Locke demands that Alex retrieve Sayid’s pack. And she agrees to do it, despite hating her father.

Benry continues to play Locke like a fiddle, asking Locke to help him into his wheelchair, because he wants some “dignity.” As Locke brings the wheelchair, Benry begins questioning him: How do you think you’re going to pilot the sub? It’s rather complicated, you know. And Locke counters that for all Benry knows, he’s a commander in the Navy. Uh-huh, says Benry. Say, Locke, what’s in the pouch? It wouldn’t happen to be explosives, would it? So you’re planning on blowing up the submarine?

See, the thing is, Benry is always thinking three or four moves ahead of Locke. The only survivor that seems to be Benry’s intellectual equal so far is Jack. Locke? Locke is no match for Benry, no matter how hard he tries. Further evidence:

Locke, irritated that Benry has figured out his plans for the sub counters that Benry doesn’t know him. Ah? I don’t? And then Benry begins listing Locke’s biography: where he was born, foster care, working at a box company, and the paralysis. Furthermore, Benry rubs it in all of our faces that he knows how Locke became paralyzed. Did it hurt, John? Oy.

Over in a game room somewhere, Kate is hanging out on a pool table, when Jack and Tom enter. Tom warns Jack to be careful — suggesting that the room is being monitored (interesting …. Tom and Jack are friendly now?). Jack explains to Kate that this is where the Others live, and that all the people, including the children, who were abducted are safe and sound, and spending their free time “watching” people in cages, or something.

Jack goes on again about how he told Kate not to come back for him, but did she listen? Nooooo. Here’s the thing. The thing is, he made a deal to go home, and he and Juliet are leaving on the sub tomorrow, first thing in the morning. Yippee! It’s their last chance for hope. Furthermore, Jack chose to trust the Others, because Kate told him to. Remember that, Freckles? Blah blah, more scolding, and then Jack promises that he will come back for her. Big talk, Jack-O.

Right, so because Locke is a die-hard sucker, Benry continues to play him some more. Benry tells Locke that while in the hatch, it tortured Benry to not be able to tell Locke that he knew that he shouldn’t be able to walk around. Then he starts asking Locke about the paralysis: When did Locke recover his ability to walk? Was it immediate? Locke, once again thinking that he’s outsmarting Benry, responds in kind: Are you worried that you’re not healing fast enough? And how’d you get sick in the first place? Touché! But Benry comes right back at him: Are you worried that if you leave the island, you’ll go back in the chair? And that’s why you want to destroy the sub? (Yes.)

Alex’s little mission to retrieve Sayid’s pack: she finds Sayid chained to the swing set, and grabs the bag. Sayid tells her that she looks like her mother, before the guard whacks Sayid in the back. See, because Alex thinks that her mom is dead.

Back in Benry’s home, Locke is poking around in the kitchen, looking for something to eat. When Benry turns on the light, Locke asks him how he gets electricity, and Benry responds that they have two giant hamsters running in a massive wheel in their underground lair. Thank you! Don’t forget to tip your waitresses! So Locke helps himself to some chicken (Benry ate all the dark meat already), while Benry pauses in front of the only clock or timepiece that we have seen in Otherville. Benry then resumes his “Locke: a Concerto in A Minor,” and asks Locke to not blow up the sub. See, it’ll create discord amongst his people. They don’t want to leave the island, per se, but they might become upset if they believe that they can’t leave. Oh, and this is supposed to discourage me? asks Locke.

Look, some of Benry’s people aren’t ready to make a full commitment to the Island, and the submarine helps maintain the illusion that they can go back (an illusion, Locke, not a trick). But Locke — Locke has already made that commitment, and if he’ll just cooperate with Benry, Benry will show him all kinds of magical things! Like elves! And unicorns! And magic boxes that can make anything in the whole world that you want appear out of nowhere! Ta-da! Locke suggests that Benry hope that box is big enough to imagine up a new submarine. Zing!

Benry wants to know why Locke is so angry, and Locke explains that Benry is cheating with his running water, and electricity and going wherever they please. He goes on to call Benry and his people a Pharaohcy (busting out with the Egyptology again! Fascinating!), and suggests that if they had any idea what the island really was, they wouldn’t be living so cheaply. Benry takes umbrage that Locke would know more than him about the island that he was born on. But Locke counters that he understands the island better because he’s not the one in the wheelchair.

So, Alex returns with the backpack, and Benry plays one last card: there’s no point in blowing up the sub! Jack and Juliet are leaving on it in an hour! No one can come back! No point, I tell you! Whatever you do, DON’T BLOW UP THE SUBMARINE. And to make the whole thing even more painful, Alex reasserts what everyone else already knows: Benry is a master manipulator. Don’t let him play you. Don’t waste your breath, Alex. Once a sucka MC, always a sucka MC.

Jack stops by Benry’s place to ask one last favor of him: to let his friends go. Would it convince you to stay? Nope, says Jack. Fine, agrees Benry. I’ll release them as soon as you leave. Ha-ha!

Locke blows up the sub, just as Benry plans.

Sadly for Jack and Juliet, they arrive on the scene just moments before it explodes, so they have to watch their ride go up in flames. Dammit, Locke. Jack gives Locke the exact same stink eye that Sayid gave him a couple episodes, for exactly the same reason. Enough already with the literally blowing up the survivors’ only hope, Locke.

Locke is chained up onto some pipe somewhere when Benry retrieves him, accompanied by Richard. And look! Richard is Batmanuel Richard! So good to see him again! Locke knows now that Benry set Locke up to blow up the sub. Benry then taunts Locke about how earlier in the day he had been desperate for some way to stop Jack and Juliet from leaving the island. If he allowed them to leave, he would appear weak. But if killed Jack, well that would be cheating. To break his word would also be unacceptable to his people. So what to do? But then Locke came in and answered all of his problems. Ka-boom!

With a roll of his eyes, Locke asks if Benry is going to start talking about magic boxes again. No, replies Benry, I’m going to show you what came out of it. As they make their way down the hallway, Benry asks Locke that he didn’t want to know if his injury hurt at the time, but rather, what it felt like to have one’s own father try to kill them. After all, daddy’s the reason Locke destroyed the submarine, right? Because this is the one place that daddy can’t find Locke … Benry goes on to concede that Locke does seem to have some sort of communion with the Island, and that makes him very important…Benry simply wants to help him — help Locke understand the Island better. Why? Because Benry’s in the wheelchair and Locke is not. You ready to see?

You know, it’s funny. As soon as Benry announced that he was going to show Locke what was in the box, I knew it was going to be Cooper (I know you don’t believe me, but for reals, I did.). And I’ve watched this episode three times now, and that particular scene five times. And I still get chills.

OH! And remember how Cooper says to Locke right before their kidney surgery, “See you on the other side,” ?! Other side! Get it?! And Desmond said “see you in another life,” to Jack in L.A. and look what happened! Something to remember, Nadia said the same thing to Sayid, will she show up on the island?

So, what the hey? What on EARTH is Coop doing on the island? As far as I can tell, we only have two options here:

1. There really is some magic “box” that can do what Benry describes.

2. Yet again, Locke is being conned.

And let me just say from the get-go, I don’t know which it is. There could be arguments for both scenarios.

Scenario 1: As I’ve noted before, there is clearly some sort of time/space anomaly going on with the island. Was it only located within the Swan Hatch, or did the Swan Hatch merely harness it? Or, are there multiple locations where it can be accessed? Is it the entire island?

The message in the brainwashing film, “only fools are enslaved by time and space,” seems to suggest that the Others believe that they can perhaps transverse the limits of time and space. Can they?

Benry notes that he has to try to explain to Locke the concept in terms that Locke will understand, and he uses the box analogy because of Locke’s work experience at the box company. If there is some magic space, it is probably not a literal box, but perhaps a location, a portal of some sort.

Is this what the Others are so busy trying to dig up? Remember that they put Kate and Sawyer to work breaking up rocks. What are they trying to unearth? Remember that I pointed out the television broadcast discussing the Bolivian gold deposits that were stolen? Are the Others mining something even more valuable? Some sort of substance that has powers, perhaps? (It’s not the only mining reference on the show, by the way. The Black Rock was filled with mining equipment, and there have been a number of coal references on the show, not the least of which was the Black Rock itself.)

Scenario 2: Of course, the whole “only fools are enslaved by time and space” business could be a huge con being pulled on the folks who work for Benry. Perhaps it’s a way to control them. If there really is no way to get off the island, people may be unwilling to come work for Benry. But if they believe that they can master time and space, then who cares if they’re trapped on the island, right? Also, isn’t it interesting that Benry is the only Other with a timepiece? If Benry believes that only fools so on and so forth, then why for the clock?

Is Benry feeding this “box” nonsense to all of his followers? Has he promised them this mysterious thing that can grant them anything they want, as long as they want it bad enough and believe? Is it all part and parcel with a lie about being able to travel through time?

Benry somehow clearly knows a lot about all of the survivors, but how? Did he have this information pre-crash, or post? And if it was post, and the presentation of Cooper out of thin air is all an elaborate con, then how’d Benry get Cooper there? And why? What’s the purpose? What does Benry need from Locke? And is Cooper in on it?

Benry certainly played an elaborate con on Locke with the submarine. Why wouldn’t this be just one more elaborate mind game? Think back to the first scene of the episode: the viewer expects Locke to be in a wheelchair, but he’s not. Like any good magician, the writers have given us plenty of clues to suggest that Locke will be in the wheelchair. They played with our expectations. Is the same thing happening here? Is this all a magic trick? Benry primes Locke by telling him that there is a magic box, and then shows him the end result. Locke, who was already a believer in the island in the first place, is now well-primed to believe Benry and whatever he tells him.

Of course, there could be a third possibility, and that is a combination of the two: There is a magical “box” or portal on the island that did somehow bring Cooper to the island. But, Benry is using this to manipulate Locke for some reason.

That, or, there is a magical “box” or portal that did not bring Cooper to the island, but Benry wants Locke to believe that it did to manipulate Locke for some reason. Maybe to get the actual portal working.

An interesting fact that has nothing to do with Lost per se: Pandora’s box was probably not really a box, but rather a jug or jar of some sort. An early translator mistranslated the word, and perhaps got it confused with Psyche’s story of the box with some of Persephone’s beauty that she retrieved from the underworld.

Hmmm … come to think of it … Sayid’s last name, Jarrah, means jar or vessel, Alex is something of a Persephone character, and Psyche … maybe it is tangentially related after all …

One last thing before I completely bore everyone to tears: the direction of Locke’s character. I’ve noticed a number of people feeling dismayed about the direction in which Locke’s character has been moving. I have to disagree with the complaints, though, and I’m glad that this episode came along when it did.

Locke is an Island Fundamentalist. He believes wholly, and first most in the power of the island. And not without cause: after all, the island did cure him. (And I’m relieved that the injury Locke incurred was indeed severe. There had been some suspicion that his injuries were psychosomatic. I am very glad they were not.) Anywho, Locke has no reason to want to go home, and he believes exactly what Benry tells him: that the island can give you anything that you want. This is what he told Charlie when he was helping Charlie get clean from the heroin, and why he was so angry at Charlie when he believed that Charlie has relapsed.

Like any good fundamentalist, Locke believes that everyone should believe in the island as much as he does, and that if they do, the island will give them what they need. Therefore, he wants to stay. Therefore, he blows up the Flame, and their one chance of communicating with the outside world. Therefore, he shoves Mikhail into the fence, unapologetically killing him, because Mikhail knows about Locke’s past — a past that Locke doesn’t want to be a part of anymore. And therefore, Locke blows up that submarine, because he doesn’t want the outside world to ever come and reclaim him.

I think it’s perfectly keeping in character.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments, because I’m sure there was a ton.

1) When Cooper pushed Locke out the window and fled to “Mexico” I think it’s possible he joined up with Dharma and has been on the island since pre-crash. When Benry (my boyfriend) realized how valuable Locke could be, he grabbed Cooper (had him grabbed), roughed him up, and tied him up in the room. He’s recruiting Locke, hard.

2) Ya think Cooper the Conman ever went by the name of “Sawyer”? Say, 25 years or so ago?

3) Are we SURE Locke blew up the sub? We saw him board, climb down inside, and look around. Then when he returned from the deck, he was soaking wet. Why? If he planted the C4 inside the sub, he wouldn’t need to be wet. Is it possible he moved the sub, swam back, and just blew up the end of the dock? I’d have to look again to see if we definitely see the sub again before it blows up.

4) I don’t know whether Locke has actual military training, but don’t forget the scene in the box company where he’s playing his little war game in the lunchroom with his buddy. Also, how much time would he have had to spend palling around with Cooper (pre-transplant) to learn the depth and wealth of knowledge he has about tracking, navigation, jungle survival, etc.? I’ve always wondered if it were possible for him to have learned all of that just from his time with Cooper.

5) I could watch Michael Emerson act for days, weeks on end and not tire of him.

Oh, Mo–how could I be so dense! Of course it was Pharisee, not Pharaohcy. Duh. And the way it fits in with my comments about Locke and his fundamentalist beliefs…I was so focused on Ancient Egyptian references, that I misheard. Sigh.

I have a question that my husband & I noticed. On one part of the epi it appeared that Jack had a new tatoo on his left arm. I could not see what it was, but I am sure I saw something red there. Also, where is his other tatoos? It seemed that through-out the epi his arm was covered in some fashion. Take for example the scene where he is talking to Kate, he has his arms crossed. Kate reached out, I thought she might check for the tatoo, but she merely touches his arm. What do you think?

I would have to say I am leaning more towards a con. Ben plays Locke like a fiddle. Plus the others like to play dress up. When the Losties 1st met the Others they wore costumes. Also, during season two when the girls found the medical hatch where Claire was taken they found a bunch of costume makeup. So I am curious if its really Cooper and not an Other in a “Mission Impossible” style costume to play against Locke’s weakness.

Phil: This is my first go at recapping, and so I have not done Seasons One and Two. I have actually pondered doing the first two seasons over the summer, but I almost feel like it would be cheating considering how much more we know now, you know? But it’s something to consider if there’s any interest out there. Thanks for the kind comments!

Vickie: Every week, you are so sweet in your comments. Thank you for the encouragement!

As far as Jack’s other tattoo, it has actually been there all along. Go figure! Here is a cap from the Pilot episode. From what I understand, all of Jack’s tattoos are actually Matthew Fox’s, and the creators thought it would be cool to shape a storyline around the “5″ tattoo. I beg to differ. At any rate, it seems that the star tattoo just doesn’t have the same sort of mysterious quality for the writers to base an element of Jack’s character around. That, and it’s on the underside of his arm, so it’s not readily visible. Good eye, though!

Chris: interesting theory! Yes, there is a great deal of “pretending” going on the island. It’ll be interesting to see if this is just one more example.

Someone pointed out that perhaps Cooper was on the doomed flight: here’s a cap from Exodus as Sawyer is entering the plane. There’s been a great deal of speculation that Cooper is the “real Sawyer.” If that’s the case, then this look that Sawyer gives the white-haired gentleman on the plane is certainly interesting. Also, remember that Charlie found a bottle of McCutcheon on the island, and it was from Sawyer’s stash of items from the crash. So, who did the whisky belong to? Was Cooper on that flight?

I really liked this episode and we very much looking forward to the Locke back story. Locke has been one of my favorites since season one where he throws the knife, kills boar and the big reveal that he can walk.

I didn’t pick up the Special forces stuff at his house…NICE find. I’ve always thought that he had been in the military at some point some how. It depends on how old we think he is. The islands jungle is much like Vietnam. Locke could be old enough to have been in ‘Nam. That’s for another discussion however.

Benry is the man and you are so right that he played Locke like a fiddle. I don’t mind Locke getting hoodwinked by Benry. He’s been fooling him since day one when they had him prisoner. It just irks me, that little by little they are dumbing Locke down. I agree that Locke is all about the island and never getting off…but I don’t think that he’s gone that far down the path to screwing everyone to serve his own good. That’s not Locke season one. Sure lots of stuff has happened to him since finding the hatch, the button and the explosion. I don’t think that it’s changed him that much. To make him a Killer? Someone easily duped by Mikael? A waster of resources? I just don’t see it. I’m sure they have a grand scheme for him. Of course THEN AGAIN…Locke before the island was a doofus. The kidney, the compound…his box job and the nit wit telling what to do. He’s very confusing.

I’m seriously loosing faith in Sayid’s coolness. He just gets chumped outside the house? What’s up putting handcuff’s with 25 links between the bracelets on Kate, a known escape artist? Stupid producer faux pas?? The Others trust Jack enough to let him walk around…play ball…see prisoners? Two episodes ago he was in a cell. Now once in Otherville he’s ok with them? What the hell is up with Danielle slinking off every time some action is about to happen? How many bullets can she have for that rifle? 16 years??? Um…yeah. 16 years she’s never ran into that fence…or found Otherville?

i’m not so sure locke is simply out to destroy ways off of the island. he didn’t touch the first raft. he didn’t sink the sailboat. and he first tried to access the communications at the station — he could have simply blown it up. for all he knew, trying to access communications would ping somebody, alerting them to his location. why take the chance to see if it works if your intention is to blow it anyway? he’s up to something, though.

I’ve been reading this blog for a while and really enjoy it! I’m so glad you put so much effort into it every week!

One thought. Do you remember in Season 2 when Locke is watching Henry when he’s in the “jail” in the hatch? And Henry tells Locke that he was actually on his way to come for Locke? Could it be that Henry has had his eye on Locke for a long time and is now trying to keep him on “Team Others?”

Thank you for that Therese, you are an amazing writer. I don’t now if I look forward to Lost or reading you blog more. Good to see you have fully recovered from the Scooby Doo Meets Batman torture. As a survivor of both the Scooby Doo Route Scary Six torture and the inhuman Scooby Doo Winter Wonder Dog Technique I can totally empathize. True that.

I don’t know why but I just felt Locke had the upper hand through most of that. He has always been the ultimate sucker, but any words; Kate, Sayid, Ben or Alex threw at him just didn’t matter, he just gave it back in spades. He just wanted sub go boom and got what he wanted. I felt like he was an equal with Ben, Ben would step up with a hundred words and all his fascinating little stories and Locke just kept knocking him back like Slingblade, ahh haaahh yessum, hope dat der box big enough to imagine a new sub, I reckon. At the end when Ben pulled Dad out of the magic box, that was when Locke went all victim again, here take my wallet and car keys, I’m down to one kidney but would you take two thirds of my liver? Please?

Continuing themes are: Parents and children, religion and science, black and white, good and bad.

The Others seem to revere parents or the relationship between parent and child. I think. And when child sins against parent … oooh they don’t like it one bit.

I’m sure Jack isn’t on Jacob’s List because he grassed on his father, causing his life to take a bigger dive. O Jack thee betrayer of parents.

Claire wished death on her mother. I’m guessing she’s not on Jacob’s piece of scrap either.

Kate killed her mother’s lover. She kidded herself she was doing it for her mother’s sake … but later we discover Kate’s Mum (Left Behind) didn’t want her help. Nor did Jack come to think of it. Kate’s Mum died of cancer … and Kate was no comfort to her.

Locke IS featured in Jacob’s notepad thing though because Mikhail recognises him whereas the others gathered at that time (Kate and Sayid) are said to be not on the list or, what were his words, “beyond understanding because they are flawed?” Meaning Locke isn’t flawed. Because he always thought the best of his father even in the worst of all situations. Though he might not be ‘flawed’ – whatever that means in the context of J’s Apple iBook – he’s a tad gullible ain’t he? A follower perhaps, not really a leader? A man seeking belonging – latterly through faith possibly because he has no family structure? Did we ever learn about his mother incidentaly? So Locke was not bad to his Dad. I think a positive indicator to The Others.

I dunno, it’s so easy to try and spin theories round bare patterns in this show because the info is being eked out so slowly. Fun guessing though.

Religion v science? Dharma v Others/Hostiles? Were the Dharmas the religious approach and The Others (a subset of the Dharma gang) more science based? What we know for sure is that, although the Dharmas may hav had their island dominance toppled, The Others (who took over after The Purge) also have an agenda. A very similar agenda? Seeking a similar outcome? And is it to do with the V equation? End of the world theories? Children? Parents? Fertility? Adoption, even? (see the Hanso Adoptions website)